*bihōfōn

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *bihōfōn "to need, to require" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Proto-West Germanic *bihōf (“need, necessity”) + *-ōn, as Wiktionary derives it.^[1] Holthausen and Köbler refer Old English behōfian to the noun behōf,^[2][3] while Köbler analyses Old Frisian bihōvia as bi- with *hōvia.^[4]

Morphology

A weak verb of class II.^[3][4]

Evidence

The verb is recorded in Old English behōfian and in Old Frisian bihōvia, also spelt bihōwia;^[3][5] Wiktionary gives only reconstructed forms for Old Saxon, Old Dutch and Old High German.^[1] Gamillscheg cites an Old Franconian ⟨bihovian⟩ "to need, to have need of" in deriving Old French buhot from Frankish *behōf.^[6]

Meanings

1. to need, to require^[1]

Old English also used the verb for "to concern", "to belong to" and "to be necessary".^[2][3]

Reflexes

• Old English: behōfian (“to need, to have need of, to concern, to belong”)^[2]
• Old Frisian: bihōvia (“to need, to have need of”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bihōfōn
2. ^ a b c Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. behōfian
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. behōfian
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. bihōvia
5. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. bihōvia
6. ^ Gamillscheg, Ernst (1966–1969), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der französischen Sprache, 2nd, fully revised ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 178